Spur of the moment
by thecanadian13
Summary: "I wanna take you somewhere I love to go," Derek said. "And that's supposed to make me want to as well?" Casey asked unconvinced. "Please!" Derek begged skipping to the pathetic and pitiful stage of his plan. "Fine, but you're paying for whatever it is." Derek and Casey mini adventure one-shot.


Like no others, was no way to describe them. But then again, it seemed to do the trick pretty well.

* * *

Casey sat idly by as he handed over a fifty dollar bill and received four five dollar bills in return. Watching him crumble up the money and shoving it into his pocket made Casey cringe. She just sat there however and imagined he had found a solid counter with a 90 degree edge and ran each five dollar back and forth until smooth. The only problem with this imagination of hers was that it was so far from the truth that it never ended up being him doing it in the first place.

"Are you ready?" He asked approaching her. The expression on his face read playful, but Casey knew that was just a facade to hide his eagerness and anxious tendencies.

"Yes, I am," she responded coolly, gathering her things and setting her purse over one shoulder as she stood up.

"Good."

She followed him as they walked down a hallway with pictures of bowling balls and golf clubs on the walls and sparkles scattered throughout a somewhat rubbery black floor. Casey caught the stench of used shoes and sweaty plastic, but chose to ignore it. This was Derek's day, not hers.

When they reached the end of the corridor, there were already at least fifteen people in line. Derek groaned in frustration, but shut up immediately when Casey shot him a disdainful expression.

The silence lasted all of thirty seconds before Derek reverted back to his grumpy and immature whines. "I might not get in this time Case. And then I will have to wait at least another twenty minutes. I don't think you understand how much this time delay will throw off the rest of our day."

Casey rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "I don't think I have the capability of understanding this serious of a dilemma."

Derek screwed up his face. "You can't even fathom it Case."

A man finally came out in a uniform from behind the closed doors and ran through the safety procedures and strategic protocols. Another man, probably an inferior walked by each person in line making sure they had their ticket and stowed any bags or breakable belongings in the storage area just inside.

"Why did you bring your purse?" Derek asked incredulously as Casey handed over two dollars for locker fees.

"It has everything I need in it," Casey responded, slightly offended. "We'll see whose talking next time you need a spare battery or a bandage."

"I think I'll make it without a AAA battery and multicolored Band-Aids," Derek scoffed.

Casey just frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

"This way people," the man in charge finally commanded as the fifteen people in front of them and at least five behind them were led into a dark and narrow room. The room had the same weird design on the floor, but this time long multicolored streaks across the black lit walls.

"I told you we'd be fine," Casey complained. "See, we made it."

Derek rolled his eyes as he took in the area around him as well.

"You shouldn't have worn white Casey," he laughed.

"What! You told me to wear at least one article of white clothing."

"Yeah, I did. But when do you ever actually listen to me."

Casey punched Derek in the arm lightly as another man in a matching uniform reprimanded them for horseplay.

"What is this, middle school?" Derek wondered rhetorically.

"'What do you expect-" Casey tried to say as Derek shushed her when the man in charge began to speak again.

Derek looked on attentively as Casey stood there wondering why she had even agreed to go with him. He had knocked on her dorm room door early Saturday morning. Since it was before 10:00, Casey assumed it was some sort of emergency. Still in her PJs, Casey rushed to her door to find Derek standing there, wide eyed and grinning.

"_It's my birthday," he declared proudly like a five year old._

"_No, it's not. Your birthday was four months ago."_

_Derek stood there puzzled for a second while he thought. "I didn't actual foresee you knowing that, I mean, it's been two years since we moved out. I figured you forgot," he rambled on. As if Casey was supposed to pity him, he smiled really big again before Casey took the bait._

"_What do you want Derek," _

_He looked crestfallen when his name rolled off her tongue evenly with no accents or separation of syllabus._

"_I wanna take you somewhere I love to go."_

"_And that's supposed to make me want to as well?" Casey asked unconvinced._

"_Please!" Derek begged skipping to the pathetic and pitiful stage of his plan. _

"_Fine, but you're paying for whatever it is."_

Casey clued back into the present as Derek handed her a heavy vest like contraption with red areas on the back, front and shoulders. It floated on Casey hanging down past her hips. Derek chuckled at Casey's small figure while Casey observed Derek and the rest of the room. Derek's vest was red in some places as well, while some other people had blue vests too.

"So you're sure this is not like dangerous?" Casey asked for the umpteenth time that day.

"Would I take you somewhere that was?" Derek asked looking slightly hurt.

"Uh, yeah. Probably," Casey responded quite simply. "Let me think of all the stupid things you've dragged me into. Besides the irresponsible times you've gotten both of us in trouble, there are plenty."

Derek shook his head smiling. "Uh uh, Case. I've made your life more interesting by throwing parties and getting you into restricted places, but none of them are dangerous. I'm not going to put you in any danger." Derek looked a tad bit too serious, but quickly changed his demeanor when a loud and high pitched sound rang out from their vests in unison.

"What's that?" Casey asked suspiciously.

"Chill Case, they're just syncing everybody's equipment," Derek said placing his hands on the sides of Casey's upper arms. He felt goose bumps as he ran his fingers along the exposed skin below her sleeve.

"You cold?" He asked surprised.

"Not exactly," Casey replied blushing. She thanked god that the lights in the room were dim and her face was blocked from his view.

"You ready?" Derek asked, picking up both of their guns from the counter and handing one to Casey.

Casey nodded her head as she turned to face Derek.

"It might be fun," she said nervously.

"That's the spirit!" He replied enthusiastically pulling her into a hug. Their vests clinked together and they were held six inches apart by the material and plastic sensors.

"You'll do great, you've got me on your side. I'll protect you. I promise," Derek winked.

It was still incredibly dark in the room but Casey saw his playful gesture and smiled back earnestly. She didn't think she'd ever be in a place like this, but Derek always brought out the… adventure in her.

The countdown sounded from all around them as two sets of heavy doors began to open from both sides of the room. Derek felt Casey shaking a bit and reached down to hold her free hand still while people shuffled around them.

"Are you sure you're not nervous?" He asked concerned.

"What's there to be nervous about?" she asked grinning. "It's just laser tag."

The beep sounded and everyone flooded into the arena as shots were already being fired. Casey pulled on Derek's hand as he stood there unmoving.

"What are you waiting for Derek? Come on, it's started."

"It's not _just _laser tag Casey. How can you say that? Just laser tag Case? "It's so much more than that, not to mention the life skills involved-" Derek shuddered.

"Come on Derek. I need a man to shield me. I'm going in."

"Yeah… yeah. A man. Coming!"


End file.
